Evaporust making my own report so far.

Bill D · Jul 8, 2016

Evaporust rust remover costs about $25 per gallon so I am trying to make my own. From what I have read it is mainly EDTA with some acid(maybe citric acid) or lye to keep the ph around 6-7. I bought one pound of EDTA powder for about $12 delivered from ebay. I put about one teaspoon in a jar with 1.5 cups of tap water. Added a little vinegar to adjust the PH. I think I read the meter wrong and should have added lye.
Threw in a rusty nail and saw no change for several days. Last night I took out the nail and it looks like raw gray iron, no rust at all. So I am happy with my first try. Shop is running 70-80 degrees day./night right now.
My research says one pound of EDTA will remove about one pound of rust. I would think rust is about half the density of solid iron with it's sponge like texture. Solid iron is roughly four cubic inches per pound.
Bill D.

ed_h · Jul 9, 2016

There is reportedly a sulfur compound in Evaporust that helps prolong the life of the chelate. Might be thiourea or something similar.

Ed

dian · Jul 9, 2016

when i look up edta my head spins. i have evaporust but use it sparingly, its expensive, as you say. molasses are around $1 per kilo and you get 10 liter out of it. they work slow (think in weeks)but your concoction seems similar.

Forrest Addy · Jul 9, 2016

According to my Googling,. EDTA dissolved 5% by weight in water is about the right proportion but the Ph should be adjusted to 7.5 or so. Pool supply outfits sell testing kits for Ph. There are indicator dyes you can add but I know nothing about them but their existence.

There are di-sodium and tetra-sodium EDTA and calcium EDTA. each for about $12 or $13 a pound. I don't know which works. Anyway 1 lb of EDTA will make about 12 gallons of rust remover. Add a gellling agent like agar if you want to make it stick on vertical surfaces.

You can add a little soda or vinegar to trim the Ph to suit. Balancing Ph can be tricky so read up on it before you try.

Sounds like evil scientist stuff to me but if you can catch a break over EvapoRust's hellacious pricing it's worth a try.

adama · Jul 9, 2016

Why not just use baking powder or washing powder and electrolysis? Its cheap and pretty quick. Its also chemically pretty human safe too.

crrmeyer · Jul 9, 2016

dian said:
when i look up edta my head spins. i have evaporust but use it sparingly, its expensive, as you say. molasses are around $1 per kilo and you get 10 liter out of it. they work slow (think in weeks)but your concoction seems similar.

I have been doing this for a few years now and have been happy with the results. In the US, the cheapest source of molasses is 5 gallon buckets from the large animal feed store (horses like it apparently) for less than $20.

snowman · Jul 9, 2016

crrmeyer said:
I have been doing this for a few years now and have been happy with the results. In the US, the cheapest source of molasses is 5 gallon buckets from the large animal feed store (horses like it apparently) for less than $20.

I bought 3.5 gallons of evaporust for 54.95 or so, and it came with a fancy little basket.

You can buy 5 gallons for 75.

Find your local industrial supply house that carries it.

mach2 · Jul 9, 2016

Interesting experiment, I use vinigar and salt at about $3 a gallon. Completely safe.

Mud · Jul 9, 2016

mach2 said:
Interesting experiment, I use vinigar and salt at about $3 a gallon. Completely safe.

I haven't heard about salt before, with vinegar. How do you mix it and use it?

crrmeyer · Jul 9, 2016

snowman said:
I bought 3.5 gallons of evaporust for 54.95 or so, and it came with a fancy little basket.

You can buy 5 gallons for 75.

Find your local industrial supply house that carries it.

I hear Evaporust is pretty good and faster, but definitely more expensive. Molasses at 10:1 dilution with water yields 55 gallons on rust remover for less than $20. Or to compare apples to apples, $1.81 for 5 gallons (vs. $75 for Evaoprust). While 5 gallons of molasses seems like a lot, in a few months I will probably finish my first 5 gallon pail and need to get another one.

Forrest Addy · Jul 9, 2016

crrmeyer said:
I hear Evaporust is pretty good and faster, but definitely more expensive. Molasses at 10:1 dilution with water yields 55 gallons on rust remover for less than $20. Or to compare apples to apples, $1.81 for 5 gallons (vs. $75 for Evaoprust). While 5 gallons of molasses seems like a lot, in a few months I will probably finish my first 5 gallon pail and need to get another one.

There might be another benefit. Save your used molasses re-rusting liquid, ferment, it distill it, and you have moon shine rum.

Spencer in NH · Jul 9, 2016

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/monarch-lathes/cleaning-rust-196753-post1280683/#post1280683

mach2 · Jul 9, 2016

I use about 1/2 cup of non-iodized table salt per 1 gallon of brown vinigar. Don't use on non-ferrous metals. Submerge completely for about 4 - 8 hours. Most rust will wipe off. Use a fine steel wool pad if necessary. I rinse in water and wipe dry. You will need to oil or paint immediately. Try it with a quart and small stuff first for a little experience.

Be sure to submerge completely or you will get a mark at the water line.

Clive603 · Jul 9, 2016

Mud said:
I haven't heard about salt before, with vinegar. How do you mix it and use it?

The recipe I was given many years ago specified a saturated solution of salt in vinegar. Just keep stirring it in until no more will dissolve.

Allegedly the salt greatly reduces the rate at which the vinegar attacks good metal so things don't dissolve if you forget and leave them in too long. It was also claimed to drastically slow flash rusting when you clean the residues off. Biggest problem is maintaining a saturated solution because the amount of salt the vinegar can hold is temperature dependent. When things cool down salt drops out but doesn't completely re-dissiolve when things warm up again unless you stir it. Salt slowly drops out as a side effect of the rust eating too. Unsaturated solution is as bad as plain vinegar for attacking good metal.

I've had reasoanble results in the past but now I have a blast cabinet its just too much trouble. If I ever get things to de-rust that won't go in the cabinet I plan to try electrolysis.

Clive

sfriedberg · Jul 9, 2016

mach2 said:
I use about 1/2 cup of non-iodized table salt per 1 gallon of brown vinigar. Don't use on non-ferrous metals.

Actually, it works great for removing patina/tarnish from copper, too. I clean the copper-clad bottoms of my old RevereWare pots using it. Well, actually, I clean them using ketchup, because that already has a thickener added to the vinegar and salt. (Completely serious.)

snowman · Jul 9, 2016

sfriedberg said:
Actually, it works great for removing patina/tarnish from copper, too. I clean the copper-clad bottoms of my old RevereWare pots using it. Well, actually, I clean them using ketchup, because that already has a thickener added to the vinegar and salt. (Completely serious.)

Good to know...got a quick and easy for all my wagner ware?

Bill D · Jul 9, 2016

My answer for flash rust prevention is simple. Pull the metal from the magic solution and rinse/scrub in clean water. Hang it from a piece of wire outside in the sun and go over it with a propane torch. Not trying to heat it up just start at one end and watch it dry as you wave the flame around then move along to the far end. Do this on all sides and no flash rust. If your climate needs it you can put some oil or paint on right away. Here in summer I can keep it indoors for a while before painting or oil.
Bill D.
Modesto, CA. USA

mach2 · Jul 9, 2016

Didn't know. I'll have to try it on copper too.

Forrest Addy · Jul 9, 2016

Flash rust does not occur if the wetted surface is above Ph 8.2 or so. A spray of 1/2 oz washing soda dissolved in a quart of water from a handy squirt bottle as the parts come out of the de-rusting rinse is helpful. A vigorous scrub immersed in 180 F soda solution is even better..The residual passivation endures for some time if not challenged by humiid conditions

SAF · Jul 9, 2016

Electrolsys Rust Removal Sample

I have switched from phosphoric acid cleaning to electrolysis after some experimentation with it a few years back. For my use I find it more practical in several ways. I tried a few different setups and tests from the recipes out there and a few of my own.

Some benefits I find most useful for the setup I settled on was, low cost, low maintenance, no flash rusting, no removal of sound metal and superior paint adhesion to cleaned parts.

I found it's not magic and requires hand finish cleaning with a powered brush or wire wheel for the superior results I strive for.

I use it mainly for truck parts and industrial equipment parts but have done many other items. Ended up using a 250 Gal plastic tote on a skid for large and small parts.

Here a sample of one of the first experiments I did using a drum and some washing soda.

Specimens:

After Tank Treatment:

After Wire Brushing

Those parts were done 5 years ago as a test. They have been sitting on a shelf raw since then. There is very little surface rust on them to this day. I'm no chemist but I believe what Forrest is saying is correct. If the PH is high during the cleaning process, flash rusting does not occur after treatment, even after final buffing with a wire wheel.

SAF Ω

Evaporust making my own report so far.

Diamond

Aluminum

Titanium

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Stainless

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Stainless

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Stainless

Stainless

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Stainless

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